Now to Then
by Celine Flac the sorceress
Summary: The Gang of Star Ocean 2 are in High School!!Chapter 4 UP!!!!!READ'N' REVIEW!!!!!!
1. Default Chapter

Now to Then  
  
The Girl in the Portrait  
  
A/N: Hey!! This is my first fic on fanfiction.net with my Yami, Angel. He hates me.. Oh well, can't have every bishounen there is. Anyhow, Please Read and Review.  
  
Couples: CE x D, Ch x No, Cl x R, G x Ci, Ni x B, U x El, A x P, E x O, T x A, El x L, L x P.  
  
The school bell rang throughout the whole high school. People rushed to their classes in a hurry from the thought of being caught by their teachers or Principal Blackwell and given detention. One girl in particular walked to her class without pausing. She knew the building like the back of her hand. Going into a class on one side of the corridor with lockers and classes, she glanced around at the pathetic excuses for students, till one caught her eye.  
  
"Slayer!!" She groaned. It was Angel Canino. She knew that he hated her since the fourth grade when she "accidentally" kicked him in the balls in a fight between her and Bowman. It wasn't completely her fault!! He was the one who stepped into block the attack for his friend. She grinned slightly and sat down in her seat in annoyance. Even though he was a senior, he was the same age as the tall sophomore. They had been in the same grade until this year when he had passed some weird test that allowed him to skip a grade.  
  
"What do you want, Angel?" She growled at him as he smirked casually. He was tall, handsome with light blonde fluffy hair that he let grow to his ears, and the cutie she had crushed on since she learned to like guys. The girl let her hair run down to the middle of her back and swished a long strand-full of red wavy hair to her back and off her shoulder.  
  
"What was the answer to that riddle last night?" He asked. She groaned in annoyance as she discreetly asked him to jump off a cliff without a bungee cord. He pretty much got the message and left the girl alone until Mrs. Okaru entered. "Hey, Tala."  
  
"What?!" Suddenly the teacher with her short brunette hair in plaits turned around, re-adjusting her glasses. Mrs. Okaru was the one teacher you never wanted to have. She was mean, temperamental, and not at all an ounce of nice. She was the one that would put you in detention of anything so minimal that you would have it for a whole month if she chose, because her and Mr. Blackwell were Husband and wife.  
  
"Ms. Tala Smith and Mr. Angel Canino!! Get up here this instant!!" Slamming her head in her desk by accident, Tala and Angel gathered their bookbags and other items and walked over to the front of the class. Mrs. Okaru tapped her foot waiting for them as impatiently as possible. She pointed to the water buckets near her desk. The redhead sighed and grabbed two for herself and two for Angel. The duo walked out of the class shutting the door behind them.  
  
"Here, Angel-sempai." She fiercely gave him a pair of buckets as she went to fill her own two up. Angel caught them sneering at the freshman. Apparently they would be stuck outside of class for quite a long time. After filling her own up, Tala sat down on the floor listening to Mrs. Okaru's ranting and rambling on about something for math. Angel put his buckets down as he filled them and sat against the wall beside the freshman.  
  
"Don't you just hate Mrs. Okaru?" Tala looked towards him in surprise. He never ever even wanted to say anything to her unless it was an insult or to ask about the night's homework or project. She smirked slightly without saying anything. "She's just so mean on anything that is wrong." She had to agree with that.  
  
(Half-an hour later)  
  
"And she's even married to Mr. Blackwell, doesn't it seem.I don't know but weird?" Tala groaned. Did he ever stop yapping?! Suddenly she heard the clacking of shoes toward them. Getting up with the buckets in tow, Angel quickly followed suit. A girl with silver-blue hair and gray eyes ran over to them. Two scars were noticeable on both of her cheeks, as she looked at them then down to the map in quick recession.  
  
"Umm.Excuse me.Is this the right place? I can't seem to find my class. I have Mrs. Okaru for A+P Calculus." Angel and Tala stared at the girl. How in the hell could she get lost? Tala sighed putting down the buckets and looked at the map then back at her. The map was very detailed.  
  
"This is Mrs. Okaru's room. How can you get lost?" The girl smiled and nodded to herself. Looking at Tala she smiled brightly as she opened her mouth to answer, but then out came Mrs. Okaru. Her plaits were messed up as usual when it was halfway through the class. The teacher really badly needed to not be a bag of nerves.  
  
"Mr. Canino, Ms. Smith!! What is this?! And Child why are you talking to my students when you should be in class!!" Mrs. Okaru put her hands prominently on her hips as she glared at the lost girl. Cirrus looked up and smiled brightly towards the teacher.  
  
"I'm looking for my classroom. Y'see I'm lost. These two were telling me if this was my class." Mrs. Okaru blinked about two times before she finally got it. She was baffled on how anyone could get lost in the hallways of Vermont Rose High School. The girl then handed the elder a note. Reading it, Mrs. Okaru blinked and re-read it. It read:  
  
Dear Teachers of Ms. Cirrus Strife,  
  
Cirrus Strife is a very special child and can lose her way to even her own house or in her own house. I ask of you all to humbly accept that if my dear daughter is late to any of her classes that you excuse her and allow her to go on in her studies for the rest of the year and not mind her being able to find her classes right when the next class begins. She has no sense of direction, forgive her for this shortcoming.  
  
Thank you,  
  
Tifa Strife  
  
Signed Principal Blackwell.  
  
"Well, Cirrus try to see that you are not late for my class again." The teacher's sharp tone of voice slammed into the wall of the girl who had disappeared off to somewhere. Angel and Tala glanced down the hall where she looked around lost once more. "CIRRUS STRIFE!!!" The girl looked back and skipped all the way to Mrs. Okaru. "Get in my class!!"  
  
"Sure thing, Ms.?" Cirrus replied questionably. Mrs. Okaru's face was getting an awful reddish color as her fore-veins were popping out of her head. Tala and Angel watched with interest. Cirrus stared at her blankly waiting for an answer.  
  
"Okaru." The calculus teacher told her in a dangerously low voice as she grabbed Cirrus by the arm and dragged her into the class. The redhead watched the door close with the sounds of yelling coming from behind its closed hinges.  
  
"I hope the rest of the day isn't this hectic." The two enemies said at once. Noticing they both had spoken they turned their heads away from the other's in disgust.  
  
~~  
  
third period, Drama for Tala.  
  
"What's up, Cel? Have you gotten my costume made for me?" The troublesome redhead turned towards her paired designer. Celine smirked as she held up a peace sign. Celine was a Junior with short silvery-blue hair and ruby eyes with a figure to make the men go wild. Funny thing was that Celine never really dated anyone. Her parents weren't that strict, and she was allowed friends and all thatbut she never went out with anyone that the school even knew or that anyone knew.  
  
"It's almost finished Tala. You're going to be a wonderful Medea, along with Angel being Jason." She told Tala, immediately. One thing that was new, as Tala watched the outsider girl weave her fingers through the cloth as she hemed the dress just right. Tala shrugged it off as she got ready to say her part of Medea, when th egirl from that morning rushed in. She looked beat as the theatre teacher, Bail, went over to her to demand why sh wasn't at the class on time.  
  
Celine looked up from her crafty handiwork and looked over to the new girl. Her hair upheld by a crimson bandanna of sorts with a triangle on the front that kept her wild bangs from her eyes when she sewed. Cirrus smiled at the elder like she had the rest of the teachers and gave the note to her then went off towards the rest of the sowers.  
  
The Junior shrugged her shoulders as she put the finished mulberry red dress next to the headdress for Tala. Who would know that she would give almost anything to be able to be on stage and dance away to her heart's content?  
  
"Celine Jules, I presume?" The new girl asked. Sighing in frustration Celine nodded. "Hi, I'm Cirrus Strife. I'm new here." 'No kidding, kid.' Celine thought as she continued on alternating some of the sleeves from one of the children's tunics. "May I help you on any of those?" Celine shook her head as she concentrated on the alteration. "Oh, okay. Well, if you do just call me okay?" Boy was this girl annoying, Celine thought as she finsihed up the class.  
  
~~  
  
4th period, Tala's class, choir  
  
Tala walked into her fourth period with Cirrus. That girl had gotten lost and luckily Tala just happened to had found her on her way to Choir which they shared together with Gyoro Anchors, one of the Triplets of the Anchors family.  
  
"Heyas, Talinita!! How's it going?" He asked her as he rubbed his dark blue hair in habit. Tala let his nickname for her go. It was the usual whenever she entered the same calss with him. Cirrus glanced at her and then him. "Heya, beauty what's your name?" the poor no directed girl blushed so furiously as she smiled shyly.  
  
"It's going just fine. This is C-" Tala blinked as she was cutoff by the teacher asking the class to go to their assigned sections. Cirrus ran over to the Sopranos as Tala and Gyoro to the tenors. Gyoro's eyes shone with such brillence as he listened to the new angelic voice he was hearing in his ears from the new girl. He didn't even know her name yet, but still.she was a beauty.  
  
Gyoro Anchors sighed and continued his singing so that he could hear the angelic voice calling out to him.  
  
~~  
  
A/N: Hey!! I kinda forgot to do some stuff!!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean Ex/2, Enix and Tri-Ace do. I also do not own Tifa or Cirrus, Tifa's owned by squaresoft, and Cirrus is owned by Neko-Kelcie/ K-chan. And Blackwell and Okaru-san are Goddess of Death, Marina or M-chan's.  
  
Claimer: However I do own Tala, who is me, and Angel my Yami.  
  
How do you like that? I like it so far, so please read 'n' review my story. Domo Arigato minna-san!!! 


	2. A Meeting of Difficulty

Now to Then  
  
Meeting of Difficulty  
  
A tall teenager with a dark shade of blue hair and blue eyes entered the airport from the plane and saw his "little sister" Rena Landford. She was a bit short, thin, with a girly frame. She rushed at him and hugged him. They were actually cousins but the two considered each other brother and sister. He smiled only curving his mouth upwards slightly.  
  
"Dias!! I'm so glad you're here!! You're going to have a fun time as a junior in high school and everything else!!" He looked at her. His eyes glowed slightly. Rena yapped away about how much he would like the states.  
  
~~  
  
Claude C. Kenni smiled brightly at the new high school. The morning sunlight brightly letting him see its splendor play upon the roofs of other buildings along with Nede High School. He sighed as he wondered at all the other teenagers. He saw a girl with blue short hair, wearing a skirt. She was cute and probably nice, but he didn't want to intrude on her since the femme teenager had her boyfriend around her arm.  
  
Suddenly he bumped into someone!! A boy with soft brown hair, and green eyes looked at the fallen newcomer. Behind him another two sets of eyes followed. One of the two other guys had blue and black hair streaked with dark blue eyes, while the other one had orange and crimson hair spiked, and red vampric eyes. Allowing the brown boy to help him up, he watched him.  
  
"Thank you, I am Claude Kenni." They stared in amazement. They're three different oculars not blinking. He stared back. 'Am I really that famous?' He thought as he scratched the back of his head. They're soon got over their surprise and mumble a few questions.  
  
"Y..You're THE Claude Kenni?!" He nodded his blonde short lockes. "You really are?!" He nodded again. "Well, We're Ashton," The brunette pointed to himself,"Gyoro," the brunette pointed at the long blue-black haired boy," and Ururun Anchors," he now pointed to the spiky one. "We're triplets." He told Claude.  
  
"That's nice to meet you guys, but would you guys know where my classes might be?" The blonde asked in earnest. The guy opened his hand. Claude put his crumpled up schedule on his palm. The Triplets looked over the green-eyed boy's shoulders.  
  
"Lessee.You have Gym with Mr. Zell, Math 1 with Mrs. Okaru, I feel sorry for you., Mrs. Valentine for Science, She's pretty easy on people, Art with Ms. Jules, She's Celine's mom, so be good friends with Celine you can get great grades in her class, and lastly, Ms. Yukimazowa, for English.I feel for you if you talk in her class. Well, we have some of these classes with you." The three talked to the blonde simultaneously without even knowing it. The new kid just watched blinking. He never really thought that triplets did that.  
  
"Um..Which classes are you guys with me?" They thought in unison, as Ashton handed over the schedule to him.  
  
Gyoro answered first. "We all have gym together, I have math with you." Ururun cut in. "I have Science with you and HOT Mrs. Valentine!!" He howled at the blonde. Ashton and Gyoro gave him a disapproving glance then Ashton began. "I have art with you along with English."  
  
The Bell rang before Claude could ask anything so he followed them to his class.  
  
~~  
  
Celine sat on the gym floor, alone as usual. She would smile at her best friend Rena and Precis, along with the ever-hunting-for-a-story Chisato and her stalker/ photographer Noel. It wasn't till she saw a pair of shoes at her feet did she glance up. A tall guy, make that very tall guy, stood in front of her.  
  
"Are you the only other junior?" She nodded slowly as she stood up. He smiled briefly. Somehow he reminded her of a very old friend that she had met in Japan when she went there as an exchange student. He stared at her as she wiped the dust from the floor off her bum. She noticed he looked very Japanese-like and he was probably new here.  
  
"Are you one of the new students?" She asked him. He nodded. "Where you from?" Her voice questioned. His blue eyes stared into her ruby ones. "I just wanna know because you remind me of a very old friend. "  
  
"Japan. Osaka." She looked up her smile fading away to a thin line. She looked down at her feet and sighed in depression of having her hopes up. "Where did this friend live?"  
  
".He..Lived in Kyoto, Japan. I went overseas there as a kid, and came back about six years ago. I was raised there." She answered as he smiled briefly and glanced her over. Now that he thought of it she did look a little like that girl that was his best friend. One of the main reasons he came to America was to see if she was here.  
  
"What classes do we have together?" He asked in an indifferent voice. She looked up and smiled at him. It reminded him of that girl's smile. She handed her hand out as he placed his schedule into her palm. She looked over at him, then back to the paper.  
  
"You've got the wrong schedule. This schedule is for a freshman named Claude C. Kenni.They probably got yours and his mixed up by accident." She told him as he searched for Rena who was talking to another new guy. "Is she your sweetheart?" Celine asked a little hurt in her voice that he didn't detect.  
  
"." He shrugged it off as he went over there. Celine angered silently that he didn't answer her 'hmphed' and sat back down in her lonesome area. Rena looked away from the new boy and waved at Dias. The tall teenager didn't wave but came towards her.  
  
"Rena..Do you know a Crawd C. Kenni?" He asked her. She nodded her head. "I've somehow got his schedule instead of mine at the office." She took his schedule and gave it to the blonde guy she had happened to be talking to.  
  
"Here Claude. This is your schedule." He nodded his thanks. She looked upwards toward Dias smiling. "Dias, this is Claude C. Kenni, the son of that famous movie star!! Claud, this is my cousin from Japan, Swordmaster Dias Flac." She told the two as the two eagerly shook hands.  
  
"Okay CLASS!!!" Mr. Zell Dinct bellowed while Mrs. Valentine followed. It was known school-wide that Valeria and Zell had just gotten married. Chisato stood up, notebook in hand as usual, followed with her photographer, Noel. Noel had very short bushy brown hair, and he never opened his eyes. He didn't answer about his heritage neither. Some thought he was Korean, others Vietnamese, all they knew was that even Chisato Madison, who had been the bestest of friends with him since infancy, never even once saw his eyes.  
  
Chisato had long red, like her other companion Tala, just not wavy or curly like hers or as long. It only went to her shoulders and was held up by a blue headband. The reporter novice had light blue eyes, and her hair was fire engine red instead of the maroon red of Tal's. That and she kept a mechanical pencil behind her ear at all times.  
  
"Mr. Zell, Is it true that you and Ms. Valeria had just gotten married three months ago? Are you expecting anytime soon for a child? Did you two move in together?" Tala, who sat on the other end of the gym hitting Angel for rude comments, laughed her butt off. Chisato would do anything to get higher in the newspaper staff and try her best to get out of gym. She never liked gym since she was so clumsy.  
  
"Chisato Madison, Sit down before I get the newspaper staff to kick you off along with Noel Chandler." He told her firmly, as Chisato sat down along with Noel. Dias sighed and sat down near Rena, and Celine. From then Gym started its course.  
  
"Okay, Everyone!! We're going to be playing soccer today. It's the boys versus the girls. Celine Jules, You're the girl's captain, and ..Dias Flac!! You're the boy's captain." The teacher told them. Celine and Dias looked at each other simultaneously. It couldn't be.could it? They thought, then both shook their heads slightly and went to their gender-groups and began to organize.  
  
"Precis, You're Goalie, Rena, You're on my other side. Chisato, you're next to Rena, and Tala, you're Precis's guard. Okay?" They all nodded at her instructions, considering that she had been the girl's soccer captain for at the least five years if not six. Getting onto their positions in the gym, the girls smirked at the guys who were in identical positions.  
  
Claude being in behind and to the side of Dias, Noel off on the sidelines, Ashton being goalie, Angel was the goalie protector, and Gyoro on the other side of Dias. The two captains stared hard at the others eyes, as the whistle blew, Celine's leg jammed out first and got the ball. She ran pass Dias who quickly caught up, and followed her.  
  
Celine knew she couldn't pass it to anyone or Dias would get it, so she tried something new. She switched the ball around, and quickly ran towards her team's goal. The guys smiled and chased her, and the girls were telling her she was aiming at the wrong goal. Celine popped the ball high in the air and kicked it towards the guys. The girls who now understood what she was doing hurriedly ran to her side as Precis and Tala stayed behind.  
  
Claude ducked before the ball hit him, and Gyoro dodged before it hit him. Dias caught it with his chest as hit it up with one of his knees. Celine jumped up, hitting the ball towards Rena with her head, as Dias knee came up and crashed into her diaphragm. She fell off his knee and onto the ground, catching her breath as she caught up and started running once more. Dias stared bemused with her action as he watched the game almost as if he was somewhere else.  
  
The girls' team had won due to Celine's risky move that could have put her out of class. Celine who was being congratulated by the guys and girls couldn't help but notice that two of her ribs felt broken as she walked trying to breathe better than she was. As soon as class let out and everyone had changed back to their normal clothes, Celine tried her best to walk to the nurse's office but somehow the short walk seemed too blurry to even see the door.  
  
"You need help." The tall junior told her. She looked up, whimpering as she tried to walk forward, but his arm caught her before she fell. She tried struggling but realized it hurt too much. "Don't move, you may have punctured a lung." He picked her up with ease and held her gently as he walked her to the nurse's office. "That was a riskful move. Why did you do it?" She smirked at his compliment as she answered distastefully.  
  
"Because you made me mad. People who don't answer a question when asked are very mean and just..mean." She glared at him the best she could but her eyes wouldn't focus. They had entered into the nurse's room where he set her down on a bed. She tried getting up more than once to find Dias putting her down.  
  
"Lay down and stay down." He told her. He had seen too many of his students get hurt from sword practice, be too prideful and try to get back up only to find that he pushed them right back down. "I'll be right back." He forced her down once more before he left the office to go see the lady at the front.  
  
The lady at the front had five phones, a laptop, and a fax on her wide desk. She held herself as a busybody and continued her work not noticing the junior.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss." She looked up and saw it was he. Before he could open his mouth to continue she cut him off.  
  
"Mr. Dias Flac? Am I correct?" He nodded. "Here's your schedule, apparently I gave you the wrong one, yesterday. " She handed him a piece of paper with his schedule on it, then went back to answering phones.  
  
"Ma'am. When is the nurse coming to the office?" He asked her. She looked up irritated. Her glare didn't phase him nor did he notice it at all as he waited patiently for her answer.  
  
"Look, The nurse is only here on Wednesday. Today is Thursday. She won't be here for another week almost." He nodded his thanks and then went back into the nurse's office.  
  
~~  
  
A/N: ooooo!! A CLIFFHANGER!! AND ONLY THE SECOND CHAPTER!!! YA KANIGHETS!! I feel so special, well like usual please review. The button is just there so all you gotta do is hit the button and don't flame me!! I know Celine is really ooc, but she had to be for this. Gomen Nasai for all the very very very strict Celine fans. 


	3. Because You're Familiar

Now to Then  
  
Because You're Familiar  
  
~~  
  
Celine sighed as she ran a hand through her short rare silver hair and got up, with as little grunting as possible. She knew that she had to get to class right then. Leaning, partially on the wall, she started walking towards the other door of the nurse's office. Opening it, she walked out with bookbag in hand and started to walk to her class.  
  
~~  
  
Glancing about non-chalently, he grunted at the missing appearance of Celine. 'She is a stupid one. Trying to go somewhere without any help or even without examination. It wasn't really my concern, but.'he mused to himself as he thought of where the platinum haired teen could have gone. 'She's not my problem.' He told himself as he grabbed his book bag and got out of the office.  
  
Walking over to the science wing with a note in hand, the tall junior went by two small almost children-preteens. One who had kind of long marine blue hair, a science lab coat, black shorts, mountain boots, and a cat-head band who was followed a girl with long brown hair with grass-green eyes, slim feminine sunglasses, and a pink dress and black leggings which was trying her best to smash the boy to pieces with a hammer from her back pack while running past the tall one.  
  
He grumbled an obscenity in Japanese as he watched the hyperactive preteens run a-muk of school rules and hallways. Entering into his English class, he gave the teacher the note and sat down in the back where he saw Celine and another girl. Celine had laid down her head and already had dozed off as the teacher continued with the reading of Shakespeare sonnets, something in which Dias had taken a liking of.  
  
A brunette in the back who was small-framed, and seemed to be pale, passed a note to him. He opened it up and read the contents.  
  
'Where are you from? -Eleanor Grey, call me El '  
  
He blinked. 'Eleanor, huh.' He thought as he wrote the answer. Eleanor Grey was a sort of maidenly pretty. She had soft light brown hair like the hyperactive preteen from earlier. Her hair was in an unfamiliar style. It was eventually braided in the back, but the hair in the front was parted to reveal even bangs and two long strands that stood out from the rest and was in front of her face all the time.  
  
She had two daisy ponytail holders, withholding her braid. Her eyes were a honey brown and sad with a hint of sickness through them. Her dress was plain enough. It was a simple brown with a sash circa the waist. The silk dress went all the way down to her ankles where they met a pair of leather cowgirl boots. The only piece of an accessory was an amber brooch pinned onto the sash.  
  
He passed the note back to her, and soon she passed him it back.  
  
'From Osaka, Japan? You come from a far-away place. I hope one day I can visit a very far-away place, but likely that won't happen. Do you have gym first period with Mr. Zell?'  
  
He answered dismissing the teacher's lecture as they passed the note back and forth.  
  
'Celine came in panting, and looking as if she may pass out any moment. When she got to her desk, she had to have help to sit down. Then when she did she just, fell asleep instantly. Do you know why?'  
  
'Yeah, she was playing soccer against the guys. Did a very risky move that included her butting the ball from my knees to her team and my knee going straight into her ribs. She has about two or three broken ones. I can tell from all the time that I spend training students.'  
  
'I'm not surprised she'd do a risky move. Celine's always been a bit more towards gambling then letting herself lose without a fight.'  
  
'I wonder where she got it from.'  
  
'She told me one time that a boy from her stay in Japan taught to never go down without a fight, since he taught her or something like that.'  
  
'Do you know where she lives?'  
  
'Yes and No.'  
  
'Yes and no?'  
  
'Her parents are split. She lives actually by herself. I only know where her mom is. Her dad hasn't talked to her since she left Japan.'  
  
'Then where is her mother?'  
  
'Ms. Jules is the art teacher. She has first lunch, which is next lunch. All class rooms from 0-129. Then second lunch is in the middle of first lunches' third period and lastly third lunch is right after third.'  
  
'Which room?'  
  
'123, over in the arts wings. Why?'  
  
'Nothing, except getting her the medical attention she's too stubborn to get.'  
  
'If she heard that then, she'd try to hurt you. Too much pride in her almost arrogant but she knows her limits.' Eleanor softly chuckled in her seat.  
  
'Too much pride is going to be the death of her.'  
  
'We'd better stop, Mr. Demos is looking back here. See you next period.'  
  
'Ja.'  
  
~~  
  
Celine opened her eyes from her sleep. She felt that she was on a bed, an unfluffy bed, so she was not home on her nice warm futon. Her nose caught the sickening smell of medicine. 'Great, just great..I'm in a hospitable. Mom is probably trying seeing me to try and convince me to stay at her house. How am I going to pay for a medical bill!! I already have rent and all my other bills!! Great.Mom's going to have a field day.'  
  
She looked over to her side where a chair was pulled up. The guy from gym, the one who had broken about three of her ribs, had fallen asleep by her bedside. She smiled slightly. He did remind her so much of the little swordfighter she had for a friend. She got up, trying her best to be quiet. However her best was not the best. His arm shot out to her wrist.  
  
"Stay down. You have two broken ribs and a pretty much bruised up stomach." She pulled away from his grasp. Moving over to the bathroom, she gathered her clothes wincing when she raised her arms over her head.  
  
"I can't stay." She told him muffled by the door. Suddenly she heard a shriek. Dias looked over to the entrance to find, Rena, Claude, and four other boys with three girls. Eleanor he recognized quickly. The other six he did not notice anywhere except for maybe first period.  
  
"Where's Celine?! She should be in bed!!" The blue-haired girl cried out to him. He pointed to the bathroom. Rena sighed in relief and put a bouquet of flowers on the table. Celine came out shortly, dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved, tight black shirt that was titled Neo Sexy in gold letters on the front and Trucco on the back.  
  
"Hey." She told them. One of the other two girls that Dias didn't recognize instantly jumped on Celine's leg, bawling. Celine blinked looking at the freshman. "Cirrus.Get off my leg, I'm not going to die. It's only a few broken ribs and a few bruises. The normal." She tried comforting the girl. Cirrus smiled through her tears and got up by being dragged by Gyoro.  
  
"Celine, You really should watch how you play. One day you're going to die from being too risky, Y'know that." The maroon wavy tress girl told her. Celine shrugged it off. She put her headband on and gloves. One of the triplets, the one with soft green eyes, hesitantly spoke out in their silence.  
  
"Where are you going?" She didn't answer at all. Eleanor came towards her, smiling, and then handed her a small bouquet of star lilies.  
  
"Please, if you're going to be risky, tell me about your injuries." Celine smiled and grabbed Eleanor and pulled her into an embrace. Getting out of it, the lady put on her tennis shoes and started to leave.  
  
"I'm going home. I'll see you all tomorrow." Dias stood up and blocked the door. She glared at him. "What are you doing?! I'm going home, so leave me alone now!!" She pushed trying to get through to only find that he hit her at the nape of her neck getting her passed out.  
  
"No. You're not." 'Arrogant bitch. Why does she get the idea that she can endure all the pain without a doctor's written approval. Vanity.' Rena glared at him, along with the others. Cirrus kicked him in the leg.  
  
"Why'd you hurt her you big meanie?!" Rena shushed the girl quickly telling her something, and then the girl nodded and started to go off. The blue-haired triplet sighed and went after her.  
  
"I'm glad that you didn't knee or punch her in the stomach like you did to some of your students, Dias. We'll come back tomorrow if she's not at school. OH!! I almost forgot!!" the shorthaired girl exclaimed, getting out a lunch box that smelled of chicken skewers and baby rabbit risotto soup. "The misao soup is for both of you, I made some tepunaki rice for both, some baby rabbit risotto soup for Celine, shogun steak for you and some chicken skewers. Ja Ne." She gave him the box, then grabbed Claude and the others leaving the two people alone.  
  
"Arigato, Laina-chan." Her mumbled to her after she left. He put the box by the bedside and picked up Celine who had fallen into his arms from his making her pass out and put her gently back to bed undoing her shoes, gloves, socks and headband. He somehow knew these were very important especially the headband. Hiding them within his backpack, Dias leaned back into the chair. His eyes closing to the rhythmic breathing of the patient.  
  
~~  
  
Leon looked about the hospitable for Celine's room. She hadn't come to class and he was worried after all, she was like his big sister and all his older friend his brothers and sisters, except for Precis of course. He pulled on a nurse's skirt, which earned him a slap in the face and the name pervert. He grumbled and tugged on the next skirt of a nurse, who was nicer, looked down at him.  
  
"Hello, Dr. Geeste. Do you need help with something?" Apparently she thought he was a doctor. The girl had silver hair and ruby eyes. Yup this was Celine.  
  
"Celine!!" He yelped hugging her hips tightly. She sighed in frustration.  
  
"Hey, Leon. How can you see through this disguise?" she asked growling at his ingenuity. She wore everything underneath except for her socks, shoes, gloves, and headband. He tilted his head.  
  
"I just know you well enough." She smiled grinning as she heard the tall junior's voice from down the hall. Looking frantically back to Leon she whispered in his ear.  
  
"Leon, that junior back there is trying to hurt me. Please don't tell him I've been here. I've gotta go home okay?" He nodded as she kissed his forehead and went. Blushing Leon stared at the oncoming junior. 'DAMN!!! HE'S TALL!!! CELINE!! How am I going to get rid of him?!' he thought to himself as he looked around. 'THE LEGS!!!' He cried out to his mind in a rejoiceful moment of genius. Immediately he formulated a plan and placed the marbles from his pack into the hall. Placed a cart for supplies in the middle and tied string onto each side of the hallway. The nurses went by with questioning looks but passed on.  
  
~~  
  
He had fallen asleep!! She quickly rejoiced and saw a nurse walk by. 'What could get me to get out of here without him following like a sick dog?' she wondered silently as she got up and noticed her shoes, socks, gloves, and most importantly her keepsake headband gone!! Looking around quickly in all the small places she decided to use something pretty risky.  
  
Whispering quietly in his ear, she asked, "Where are my gloves, shoes, socks, and headband?" He mumbled something about his bookbag. She smiled!! It had worked!! Quietly and quickly she rummaged through his backpack, which held only books and a poetry notebook. She turned to look at him then quickly took it and placed it into her bag. She found her items and closed his backpack. Getting them on she quickly glanced around for a nurse.  
  
"Excuse me ma'am?" She asked one. She pulled her aside and into her room. "I was wonderin' if you knew where to get to the cafeteria?" She asked as the nurse nodded turning her back completely open to her. She hit the nurse's neck and made her pass out to oblivion. She dragged the unconscious nurse into the bathroom taking off her uniform and putting it on.  
  
Closing the bathroom door, she went out of the door and down a few hallways to the second floor where she saw a little boy with marine-blue hair and a cat headband on. Leon was here. She saw him get slapped in the face. The boy grumbled about something as she went over to him and he tugged at her skirt. She smiled and asked him what we wanted.  
  
He knew it was she and hugged her. As they hugged she heard the rush of the junior behind her and down the hall. She'd have to hurry to the elevators. She whispered something to Leon's ear about him trying to hurt her and when he nodded she kissed him on the forehead. She ran not caring if she punctured a lung or not, but just getting out of that hospitable was.  
  
She hit the down button on the elevators and pleaded to whatever god there was that she be able to get on one. He had run past Leon and was coming straight at me. The elevator opened its empty casket as she rushed in. Quickly she pressed the closing doors. When they started closing she went backwards to smack into the other wall. With her back pressed against the wall and Dias and closing doors, she didn't know which one would go out first. She closed her eyes and with held her ears closed as she heard a slam and a door shut. Going down she pulled her hands away from her ears, sighing as she opened her eyes to see him there.  
  
"Why don't you leave me alone?!" She yelled at him. Her glare didn't phase him as he held her. She didn't even notice how close the two were, when he pressed the up button to the third floor. The elevator started as his hands gripped her arms.  
  
"Because you're arrogant and you need to be taught not to be. I can see straight through your façade about not being hurt. You have to take care of yourself, befroe you take care of anyone else." She glared at him. His blue eyes seeming to be really cold yet caring and warm. They reminded her of stepping on glass, it was warm because of your blood but hurt because it caused the blood. She withheld her breath for a few minutes.  
  
"I'm not arrogant. I'm not hurt either and why do you care? I'm no student of yours or anything!! So lay off!!" She told him as the elevator jerked to a stop and she slammed into his arms. He encaptured her within his strong limbs and fell himself fall on the floor with her on top of him. His lips surprisingly on her soft cherry ones. Simuntanously, they blushed and she was the first one to try to get up to no avail. Her ribs really did hurt and she really needed to sleep. Strong arms picked her up entagled in his legs and set her down on the floor as she began coughing.  
  
"You need to be take care of. Why won't you stay here?" His blue eyes bored into hers as she closed them, putting a hand to her forehead.  
  
"I can't..I can't pay fo the bill and my mother will be angry at me for getting hurt then try to get me to come to live with her." She told him as He knelt down and picked her up. "Why are you doing this, damnnit!! You don't care!! You don't even know me!!" She cried out and punched his chest.  
  
".I already talked to your mother. I'm paying for the bill and she's angry at you though she considered that you loved living by yourself anyway. I'm doing this because you got hurt from me and its my duty to restore you to good health as the person who inflicted this pain on you." He told her with his voice clear and sharp.  
  
"You Don't Care." She told him simply. "And you don't know me."  
  
"Well, why don't you let me?" His reply confused her.  
  
"..because..you're.." 'familiar.' she wanted to say but instead she chose, "a stranger." 


	4. Who said goodbye then?

Now to Then  
  
Who said goodbye then?  
  
"I can't..I can't pay fo the bill and my mother will be angry at me for getting hurt then try to get me to come to live with her." She told him as He knelt down and picked her up. "Why are you doing this, damnnit!! You don't care!! You don't even know me!!" She cried out and punched his chest.  
  
".I already talked to your mother. I'm paying for the bill and she's angry at you though she considered that you loved living by yourself anyway. I'm doing this because you got hurt from me and its my duty to restore you to good health as the person who inflicted this pain on you." He told her with his voice clear and sharp.  
  
"You Don't Care." She told him simply. "And you don't know me."  
  
"Well, why don't you let me?" His reply confused her.  
  
"..because..you're.." 'familiar.' she wanted to say but instead she chose, "a stranger."  
  
~~  
  
Tala sighed running a thin hand through her maroon hair as she sat in the back of the gym class, incapcitated once more. Celine had come back from the hospital way less talkative than usual and stared into space more than often healthy for one person. She caught a jabbing finger of Angel's and twisted it making Mr. Dinct look over towards her and Angel. The teacher sighed shaking his brown head.  
  
"Well, Tala.Where are you going to go to college?" Tala's round eyes stared at Angel's blue ones. They widened at his tone of voice being so..unusually like his mocking one. Angel, who had noticed her staring, blushed a small pink and averted his gaze from her eyes to the floor suddenly finding it very interesting.  
  
"I..I might go to Nede Cross University..or Arlia State. Whichever one has more of a specialty for writing." She told him in a manner that seemed unlike her so much. It was soft and gentle.He'd expect that from Eleanor more than Tala. He smiled a bit surprised that Tala was into writing. Was it that he never really noticed her besides being a mocking tool?  
  
"Wow.are you good?" She smiled at him. The smile made him feel warmer inside and out as he blushed. Her smile was like a true woman's smile, the kind that you get from someone that cared fro you. He blushed even more at that thought.  
  
"I supposedly am. That's why all the teachers seem to read mine and yours, isn't it?" she asked him. Her green eyes sparkled wildly as she let her smile spread across her face along with a small blush due to talking about such a sensative subject for her. "What about you?"  
  
"I'm going to Herlie or Lacour University to become a writer on the sciences.or maybe Arlia or Nede Cross.to..um..become a writer on Science Fiction."  
  
"Why science fiction?" She asked him, her head tilting to the side showing her curiousity. Her maroon hair got into her face as she pulled it back with one slender hand.  
  
"Because I've always been interested in the future and science." He told her simply. He smiled and looked back over to the teacher and got up to play soccer. Tala sighed. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Angel had opened himself up to her and she had done the same to him..even though they were enemies..Maybe she still had a chance with him after all.  
  
~~  
  
Ashton Anchors smiled to himself. Today, he would ask her out!! Today would be his day!! He grinned and started walking to her locker. He held a note in hand that he planned to give to her. Slipping it casually in her locker, he stalked away. Precis surely would know it was him, wouldn't she?  
  
~~  
  
Leon sighed rubbing his marine hair with one smooth child-like hand as Precis bounded angrily after him. Provoking her was the best fun he always had. He walked over to his locker and stared at it for a moment. Opening it, Bobot rushed out to its owner. He hated sharing a locker with the other genuis in the school but it was all said and she literally had to share his locker. Putting his science book he found a note on pink paper. Did someone send him a love note? He shoved that thought away as he opened it and read it. It read:  
  
I have loved you from far away,  
  
And faraway I do not want to stay.  
  
Your hair is so sweet, and careless,  
  
Your eyes mischievous and devious.  
  
I wish to be yours forever.  
  
Now please answer,  
  
Will you go out with me or never?  
  
Sincerely Your secret Admirer.  
  
Leon blinked, blushing wildly. Who in the nine..? He looked over the pink piece of paper and found his answer. A barrel was drawn on it. He didn't know Ashton swung that way!! He'd have to confont Ashton about it. Embarressed as he was he sighed and slipped the note into his lab coat pocket.  
  
~~  
  
Cirrus ran to her class!! She couldn't believe how she could have gotten lost in the bathroom for the second time this week!! Well, she could but she hadn't believed she was that bad!!! She turned one of the corners to her class, supposedly, as she suddenly rammed into someone, falling down hard on her butt.  
  
"HEY!! Why don't ya watch where ya goin' pal!!" she yelled to whomever had the hint to run into her. Looking up, she saw it was Gyoro from Chorus!! SHE WAS SAVED. He looked up at her, his blue hair swaying slightly from looking upwards.  
  
"I'm sorry!! I didn't mean to yell and be a meanie like that, Gyoro!!" She told him as she got up and held out her hand to help him up. He smiled and shook his head slightly. He'd only known Cirrus for about two weeks now and had learned most of her faults already.  
  
"It's okay, Cirrus. I was sent to look for you." He told her in a crisp voice of rich honeysuckle taste. Cirrus smiled, her teeth showing with whiteness from brushing, and her scars stretching a little.  
  
"Thanks. But I don't think I want to go to class for today." She told him, her downcast grey eyes being shadowed by her lengthy silver hair. Gyoro looked surprised at this. Cirrus was the only one who found school to be interesting and always wanted to stay. (She said she'd always be afraid of the outside world since she'd get lost too easily.) His widened eyes showed his surprise as the girl looked up. "I'm sick."  
  
He smiled despite the situation and bent down on one knee, his back turned to her. "Get on, I'll take you home, okay?" (Not a bright idea, but okay..) She nodded numbly. His charm swept her face into an even redder flush as she got onto his back, piggy-backed style.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Your welcome.Now let me see the map with the directions to your house."  
  
~~  
  
Celine groaned once more. She stared hard as she listened to her anime shows. Her father had sent her something. This was a first in about six to seven years. She wouldn't open it no matter what. He wasn't dead or else her mother would call her about it. The silver-haired teenager groaned inwardly as Dias came in.  
  
Ever since the incident where she had her ribs broken, two weeks ago, Dias acted almost as if he was her caretaker, her mother even!! He had her keys copied and they almost basically acted as if they lived together, except for the fact that he had told Rena that he'd bought a small apartment and had a nasty roommate she wouldn't want to meet.  
  
"What's for dinner?" She called out to him, still sitting on the couch, staring at the brown huge cardboard box from Osaka. She reread the address as she sighed and gave up. Entering into the kitchen, she smirked at the sight. Dias had his long hair tied back with a kerchief, and a feminine apron aorund his body. He looked soooo cute!! She thought as he looked up to see her.  
  
"Chicken skewers for me and whatever you want to order for take out. I've got to go grocery shopping tomorrow. How are your ribs doing?" He asked. His smooth voice was rich with milk and velvet while Celine contemplated on her food choice thinking of Chinese.  
  
"My ribs? The usual.I think I put them in the oven to be roasted today, but that's about it." She told him sarcastically as he got the message. Walking over to her, he lifted up her shirt to see her broken ribs. Blushing like crazy, Celine smothered a screech of surprise. His hands were like ice as he touched her bruises, only to the point where she grimaced in pain, then he would move onto a different rib.  
  
"They're getting better. " He told her as her put the shirt down and smiled, beginning to bake soemthing.  
  
"What are you making?"  
  
"A cake."  
  
"For who?"  
  
"Someone."  
  
"That's nice.I'm calling Ryuu Aoi's all right?"  
  
"Just don't forget the donuts and chicken skewers!!" He told her as she took her cordless phone and sat down on the couch staring once more at the box. Pressing speed-dial, unconciously, she put the phone up to her ear.  
  
"Hello!! Dis' Aisian Restaunt, Ryuu Aoi!! We do delivary and China, Koren, Japan, and Thai foo', I am Li Chan, no related to Jackie Chan. How may I help you?" Celine smiled at Li Chan's voice. Her accent was horribly atrocious but a lot of people bought it.  
  
"Hey Li Chan. I'd like a deliviary to the usual. Two packs of Chicken Skewers, two cups of Miso soup, fried noodles, chow mei lein, and lastly chinese donuts!!"  
  
"OH!! Donut girl is out of foo' again?"  
  
"Yes.Please just hurry up and deliver my food Li."  
  
"All right!! Li chan shall make it happen. It will be $15.67."  
  
"Okay, Bye." Clicking the phone off, Celine returned her attention to the box. Sighing, she ruffled a hand through her fine silver hair, and decided. Getting up she entered the kitchen, grabbed a nice sharp knife and started cutting the top pieces of tape. Soon the box was open and she laid the knife on the table. Looking into it, she picked up the first thing that was seen. An envelope. Opening the envelope, a letter tumbled out into her lap.  
  
"Wha?!-" she read the letter, the written words on it making her shiver. Her heart beat fast as she noticed it was not a one page letter but about a 40 paged one. Dropping it on the floor, Celine got up and got her coat. "Dias, I'm going somewhere. Pay the Ryuu Aoi's $15.67." She told him as she closed the door running to her destination.  
  
"Okay." He told the air of where she ahd been earlier. What was that about? Looking onto the floor of the couch he found the letter and read it amused. It read:  
  
Dear Cecilianae,  
  
I am sorry that I have not talked to you or had any contact with you for the last six years. I know it was hard for you to let go of Osaka when you went back but I hope you have not forgotten your Japanese heritage. I am going to die very soon and I would like to see your sweet face one more time. Will you return here just for a small visit. I would understand if you didn't want to. Here is everything that you have ever not gotten when you left. It includes birthday presents, letters and lastly my sword and staff. I want to pass these to you before I go.  
  
Love, Yuri Jules  
  
He stare hard at the small letter that was in front of many other ones. If this man was truly a Jules, then maybe.maybe he'd sent one of Dias's own letters to Serene. Looking through some of them, he caught sight of one. It read in translation of Japanese:  
  
Serene-chan,  
  
I am writing you from the Hospital. I hate them. They smell like medicine and death. Something bad happened and the doctors won't tell me where Cecillia and my parents are. They're so tightlipped right now. I've got to go to bed write on this later.  
  
.My parents, Cecillia and two other people died.I can't remember how..I can barely remember anything from the week before and after this accident happened. I think I cried, I probably did.I want to be strong enough to not depend on others but myself for everything.It probably was my fault that they did die!! Serene-chan when will you return? I want to see you and play around with you like before. I think I'm going to become a sword master..yeah a swordmaster..  
  
I'm moving into Aunt Chihiro's apartment. She and Uncle Haku are going to take care of me until I want to leave. Well, I guess I'll be a swordmaster next time we see each other..I hope that you'd have grown as beautiful as I imagine..  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Dias-chan  
  
He stopped reading all together. So she was Serene-chan..This was definitly a new development. He placed the letter back onto the floor as he heard their doorbell ring. Opening it with wallet in hand, he saw Rena standing there with Claude and Precis, the annoying girl from the science lab.  
  
"Yes?" He grunted to them as put up the money and stared at them waiting for their explanation. He had told Rena almost a million times, literally, to not ever come to his apartment because of his roommate. He didn't have the balls to say it was Celine since the day he moved in with an unwilling Celine.  
  
"We just came over to say hi and asks where's your roommate?"  
  
"He's not here but at work. "  
  
"Oh.We were wondering if you wanted to come out and eat at Shorty's with us. Tala, Chisato, Noel and Bowman are going to be there meeting us. " Dias shook his long hair. It wasn't until then that he noticed that he was wearing one of Celine's favorite aprons (the one with the fairy on it) and a kerchief in his hair. "You look sooo cute, Dias!!" Rena smiled as he blushed brightly.  
  
"Well, I'm baking right now and I can't. My roommate should be here any minute." He smirked as he caught sight of Li Chan. The woman walked over and up the stairs to the small group. "Konnichiwa Li-san." He gave her the money as she gave him the food.  
  
"Konnichiwa, Dias-san. Where's donut girl? I want to talk to her about a few recipes she can try." Rena blinked along with Precis. The junior glared at her as he dsicreetly motioned for her not to speak of Celine.  
  
"Donut girl isn't here. He had to go to work early on. He should be coming back soon for dinner. " Rena and Claude however were not fooled. Li Chan nodded her goodbye takign the money and leaving. Precis smiled widely as she left. The teenager suddenly clung onto Claude's arm, causing Rena to growl and say goodbye to her cousin as they went. Claude sighed and nodded goodbye wryly as he tried to get away from Precis at least.  
  
"Celine..You'll have to be here soon."  
  
~~  
  
Celine ran away from her apartment, from her mother's house, from her town to the small lake that she had always come to remind herself of the waters overseas and to calm herself down when she was nearly wasted with rage. Her father wanted to see her...yet..he hadn't seen her for six years!! You just don't get up and ask someone who hasn't forgiven you to come and see you on your deathbed!!  
  
She rushed into the waters. How long had she been gone? It was nearing midnight as she could tell, in the shivering water. Her ruby eyes shining as she waded deeper into the water. Her wet jean shorts clung to her prone form as she felt the hurt of her ribs against the lapping ripples.  
  
Celine just couldn't think as she went deeper still to the sandbank that was near the middle. The waves crested small ripples onto her. The coldness seeping through as tears flowed down her face. She wasn't going to cry. Getting in the middle, she stood there for a few minutes. 'What am I going to do?! I can't go back there!! Why is this happening now?!?!? I shouldn't..I should!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!!??' She sobbed softly, her heart crashign against her ribcage. Her emotions that were pelt up, emptying from that fateful day she had left her home. The hate of her father raining andf coursing through her veins to her tears as she cried out a hurtful cry filled with pain of a dying animal. Then a pair of arms encircled her as if to make sure she was all right. Caring strong limbs that were like a sheild as she turned around and faced who it was. Her sheild was Dias. Blinking, she stared with tear-stained cheeks. A blush eliciting from her cheeks. Her stomach twisting into knots and butterflies swarming around in there, making her nausous.  
  
"Don't cry, Serene-chan. Its going ot be all right. " He whispered to her as the wet girl wrapped her paled arms on his chest, her heart heaving with the pain, thrusting through her darkness and hope. Peircing the bult up anger as she let hereself go and for once..just once she'd let anyone see her cry.  
  
"Serene-chan..." Her name, even if it was that of her japanese one, was nice to hear from someone close. She just shook with anger and hatred flowing out of her heart, flowing out of her as she sobbed quietly her cries muffled as she buried her face in his shirt. Calmly and instinctively, Dias stroked her fine feathery silver hair and held her close with his arms and put his head ontop of hers.  
  
Right now, he had to be there for her.  
  
~~  
  
PLEASE REVIEWWWWW!!!!!!! _____;;; 


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